Mop head or holder



Patented Apr. 25, I899.

-.I. q. CARTER.

MOP HEAD 0B HOLDER.

(Application filed Oct. 13, 1898.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: |NVENTOR ATTORNEYS,

m: Noam PEIERS co.. Puma-Luna" wnsnmomn. u. c,

JOHN J. CAR"ER, OF NEWARK, NE\V JERSEY.

MOP HEAD OR HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,884, dated April 25, 1899.

Application filed October 13,1898. Serial No. (N0 model-l To (til whom, it Uta/y concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. CARTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvement-sin Mop Heads or Holders; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the in ventiou, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to provide a mop-holder in which the mop or cloth shall be firmly held in place during the cleaning operations; to provide a holder in which the opposite end of the cloth from the one inserted in thejaws can be held against too free movement; to enable the cloth to be arranged over the mop-holder itself, so as to cover it and prevent scratching of the surface to be cleaned; to provide a mop-holder having angular forward corners which can be inserted into corners to be cleaned; to obtain a sim ple construction easily operated and not liable to get out of order, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved mop head or holder and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and

finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.-

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the views, Figure 1 is aview of myimproved mop-holder in perspective and showing a brush-holder which may be formed thereon. Fig. 2 is a plan of the holder, and Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section on line as, Fig. 2.

In said drawings, (1 indicates the body portion of the mop-holder, preferably formed of sheet metal and somewhat triangular in shape, the sides converging toward the rear end. The forward end of the body portion is bent upward at right angles, as at b, and provided with teeth b. At the rear end is a socket 0, formed by rolling up the sides of the body portion orlateral tongues c thereon, said socketbeing adapted to receive the end of a handle d, by which the mop is operated. Said handle extends to the rearward and may be of any suitable length and construction desired, its end being fitted into the socket c. Ears e e at the sides of the body portion are bent upward at right angles and perforated to form bearings for a movable upper jaw f, adapted to cooperate with the jaw formed by the body portion. Said upperjaw conforms in general shape to the body portion a and has its forward end bent at right angles, as at g, and provided with teeth g, which alternate in position with those on the body portion and are adapted to intermesh therewith when closed together. Said jawf is provided at the sides with ears 1' t', bent downward at right angles and adapted to lie against the inner sides of the ears 6 on the body portion. Said ears e and i have coinciding perforations, and a pin j is passed therethrough and riveted at each end to prevent withdrawal. The movable jaw can thus be swung pivotally upon said pin to open and close the holder.

The jaws of the holder are normally held closed together by a spiral spring 70, coiled around the pin j and pressing with its two free ends against the adjacent inner surfaces of the jaws, as will be understood. The jaws are opened against the power of the spring 7t by means of a finger-piece or lever h, formed at the rear end of the movable upper jaw, said finger-piece being bent outwardly and terminating short of the socket 0, so as to insure freedom of movement. By pressing this finger-piece the jaw f is swung upon the pin j and its forward end lifted from the teeth on the body portion, allowing the mop or cloth to be inserted between the teeth or removed.

It will be noted that the forward outer corners of the mop-holder are sharply angular, the angle being ninety degrees or something less, so that the mop may be readily worked into and around corners to clean them without the other parts of the mop striking and preventing access to the corner to be cleaned.

In using the mop-holder one end of the cloth or mop is gripped between the teeth and the other end is carried around the under side of the holder and held by a spring m.

Said spring is preferably U-shaped and has its two ends fastened to the body portion near its forward end in any suitable manner, preferably by inserting them in perforations therein and bending them against the body portion, as shown in Fig. 3. The central part of the spring normally engages the under side of the body portion near where the handle is inserted and with sufficient force to hold the end of the mop firmly thereagainst.

It will be evident that when the spring m is used upon the movable jaw it may also serve to keep said jaw in closed position and the spiral spring 7; be dispensed with. Other modifications in form and arrangement of the springs may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

It will be understood that my improved mop-holder is more especially intended for light work, such as washing windows and wipingoff paintwork or wall-paper. In this work it is often desirable to use a brush or duster upon the surface in connection with the mop or cloth, and I may therefore provide means upon my mop-holder for receiving the handle of a brush. Said means pref erably comprise a suitably curved or bent piece 7t of sheet metal, having its ends 0 o thrust through slits 17, provided therefor in the upper jaw f, as shown inFig. I. Said ends 0 after passing through the slits 1; are returned outwardly and upwardly, so that the extreme edges 0 thereof rest against the under side of the jaw f. A certain elasticity is thus obtained, which causes the piece a to press firmly against the handle of a brush inserted between said piece at and jawf.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. A mop head or holder having a body portion and a jaw pivoted thereon, said parts having cotiperating teeth, and a ]-shaped spring, secured to the forward end of said body portion and bearing at its central part against the 'rear portion of the holder, substant-ially as set forth.

2. lhe combination with a mop-holder having means at its forward end for holding one end of the mop, of a rearwardly-extending spring adapted to fasten the otherend of the mop, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination in a mop or cloth holder, of a body portion a, forming at one end a jaw and at the other receiving a handle (Z, a movable upper jaw pivoted on said body portion, a spring-clasp for holding the end of the cloth or mop, and a socket arranged on said movable jaw, to receive the handle of a brush or duster, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a mop-holder, the combination of two jaw-like members pivotally connected, said members both having teeth at their forward ends and at their rear ends one being provided with a handle-receiving socketand the other with a finger-piece, and a spring-clasp m, arranged on one of said members, substantially as set forth.

In a mop-holder, the combinationof two jaw-like members each having a square forward end provided with sharp-pointed biting-teeth projecting at substantially a right angle and each member having its sides converging rearwardly and forming laterallyprojecting forward corners, said members being pivoted together and adapted to hold one end of a cloth between their teeth and a springclasp arranged on one member for holding the cloth by its other end in a position covering said member, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of September, 1898.

JOHN .T. CARTER.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, C. 1. PITNEY. 

